From the archive


Robbie bargh’s favourite bars


“My favourite bar in the world closed just recently: the Connaught in London. It was the one place I’d have worked at for nothing and I’m missing [head bartender] Brian Silva already. Brian was always such great company and every one of his drinks took you on an emotional journey. It’s the classic locations that really do it for me. I think we’ll see a real return to the classics, with people putting far more thought into provenance and artisanship. Brian would certainly be on my dream table, as would Alan Yau


and Zoe Jenkins. There’s nothing left to say about Alan, but Zoe, who is F&B director for The Dorchester, is equally amazing. She’s been there 20-odd years and has more drive, energy and passion to succeed than almost anyone I’ve ever met. The GM of the Manchester Hilton, Bernadette Gilligan and Radisson VP Gordon Mcguigan are two others who seem to instinctively understand what is required to make a venture work.”


teachers, not bar lovers. Designers come in with no idea of how a bar should look or function.” The head bartender at the Hemingway Bar at the


Paris Ritz and, according to Forbes magazine, ‘the best bartender on Earth’, Colin Field believes that functionality too often plays second fiddle to fashion. “A few years ago, a famous architect was


promise of elegantly wasted matinee idols and tuxedoed secret agents. Then, some 15 years ago, things started to change. The opening of a raft of sleeker, sexier stand-alone cocktail houses brought mixology to a new audience. The hospitality industry, seeing its monopoly on star barmen and landmark destinations slipping away, was forced to raise its game. It also woke up to the potential earnings this expanding market could generate and has since worked hard to bring a new, younger clientele through its doors. For Robbie Bargh, founder and director of


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Gorgeous Group, which advises bars, restaurants and hotels on concepts, design, operations, recruitment and training, this is as it should be: “Hotels have the best sites, budgets and resources at their disposal. They should lead trends rather than follow them.” This is easier said than done. Bargh has seen many ventures undermined by interference from industry outsiders. “They’re being designed by geography


Hotel Management International / www.hmi-online.com


nce upon a time, for a sophisticated drink you visited a hotel bar. Cocktail culture carried a mystique, glamour and exclusivity; the


commissioned to create a fashion bar in Paris. The project cost big money and looked great. However, he forgot one thing: the bartenders. There was no back bar and the sinks were the size of ashtrays – you couldn’t wash a martini glass in one.” And this is not an isolated incident. “Everybody in town was talking about another new opening,” Field recalls. “It was stunning, like a Havana box. The place could take well over 100 people and was packed from day one. But there was a problem: the bar was only 2m long. A cocktail takes 45 seconds to make, with another 15 seconds for garniture – and that’s if you’re good. How can one bartender serve all those thirsty people? The bar must always be proportionally practical to the outside area.” In terms of look, Field feels that ‘classic’ remains contemporary. “It’s reassuring to touch good, heavy pieces of wood or marble. Art deco and art nouveau have never gone out of fashion. I see too much plastic these days and fashionable places feel out of date within five years. The secret is to be modern without being achingly fashionable.” This is achievable on a budget. “Some people are willing to spend £2m upwards, but you can deliver a fantastic product for £300,000,” observes Bargh, although one should only view design as a basic, albeit integral, part of an overall concept. “When our group is brought on board, I ask what this bar wants to be known for. Everything stems from that – furniture, graphics, lighting, menus, uniforms – but there has to be total commitment to the concept from everybody involved. We’re not short of ideas, but it is only through this kind of dedication that the venture will be a success.’ Field agrees. “You’ve got to be coherent from start to


finish,” he explains. “I remember being in a very grand hotel with pictures of horses all over the walls. When I


Top:


Bebel Bar and Lounge, Hotel de Rome, Berlin.


Below: The Zetter, London.


Opposite: The Jade Bar, Gramercy Park Hotel, New York – painting by Julian Schnabel.


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